Griffin wants to move on from the blame game

As Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III recovers from his torn ACL, he wants to look forward, not backward.

Which means that he doesn’t want to spend any more time discussing the placement of blame in connection with his injury.

In an interview with CSN Washington, Griffin opted not to delve into the question of whether and to what extent anyone is responsible for his presence on the field at a time when it appeared that he should have been yanked from the game.

“You try to avoid controversy as much as you can, while at the same time, making sure people understand that, everyone understands what happened in this organization, when it comes to owner, G.M., head coach, myself and offensive coordinator,” Griffin said. “We all understand what happened . . . in the Seattle Seahawks game that led to my knee surgery. At the end of the day, what anybody wants to say about who’s to blame, whose responsibility it is, it doesn’t really matter whose responsibility it is. It doesn’t really matter who’s to blame because I’m the one who has to go through the struggle that is a knee surgery, and rehab to get back. The people who are also going through that with me are the owner, the G.M., the head coach, the offensive coordinator, the organization, the fans. Everyone goes through that with me.”

That’s probably not the kind of vague non-answer host Larry Michael expected when he teed up Griffin to address the extent to which the franchise quarterback finds the “misrepresentations of all the blame” regarding his injury to be “annoying.” Though less pointed than Griffin’s recent comments to ESPN’s Trey Wingo, Griffin again resisted issuing a broad statement that the organization is blameless for failing to override his competitive nature and pull him from the game.

Coincidentally (or not), Griffin also said that the team is now “holding me back from doing certain things” in his rehab even though Griffin “feel[s] like I’m ready.”

If the team had held him back when he was clearly limping with that huge brace on his leg in January, Griffin wouldn’t have had to undergo ACL surgery.

For the 10,000th time, Mike Shanahan did not force a reluctant, injured player back into the game. Mike Shanahan is at fault for allowing an injured player to talk his way back into the game. Shanny will not make the same mistake again.

I like Bob. I like this response. I like the way he has handled himself since the loss.

And this is exactly why Shanahan should have pulled him when they had the lead.

Had he left the game, some segment of the fanbase would blame him. With how much the franchise has invested in him, you have to see him succeed both on and off field. Therefore he would do everything possible to hold up his end of the bargain, and it was up to the coaching staff to do theirs.

If you want to make yourself angry, go watch that game again. Watch him play. I think he expected the staff to take him out.

This whole thing is ridiculous. So any time a player gets hurt is it the coach’s fault? Was it Belichick’s fault that Gronk hurt his arm again in the playoff game? I don’t hear any talk about that. How about when Philip Rivers played a playoff game with a torn ACL? Was the coach irresponsible? I never heard that suggestion. What about when JJ allowed Emmit Smith to keep playing v. the Giants with one arm? Was he irresponsible? All we heard back then was how much of a warrior ES was. The examples are endless. People get hurt playing football. Guys play hurt ALL the time. Guys make injuries worse by playing. Happens ALL the time.

Time to move on. Sched coming out tomorrow. Draft next week. Mini camps coming up. Training camps before we know it. Plenty of other stuff to talk about besides this nonsense.

randygnyc says:Apr 17, 2013 9:01 PM

Typical. In his heart he’ll blame everyone but himself. A weak, morally bankrupt man refuses to take personal responsibility. He should’ve taken himself out if he was hurt.

A football player hurt his knee. There is no one to blame. There is no story. The media simply needs to justify its existence in the offseason.

staubach12ismyidol says:Apr 17, 2013 9:09 PM

“Son your ego is writing checks your body cant cash.”

Shanny, number one son, and Griffin are all to blame for what happened. Instead of teaching Griffin to be a QB who can take a snap from center, drop back, read a defense and make a throw. They chose to tempt fate and run a high school / college option offense which exposes him unnecessarily.

To hell with the future, we’ll show’em all was the mantra at Redskins Park. You reap what you sew. The level of trust has been fractured along with Griffin’s knee. Enjoy your one and done skins fans.

Dude is starting to sound as if he’s making excuses and or placing blame all over the place. Just keep quiet take whatever you need (HGH) to come back strong. Your sounding a bit selfish with trying to answer all the questions and make points that don’t need to be made.

I noticed this determination in him last year and it was more than any other reason why he got more injured . HE shouldered the burden or ” being the savior ” or choosen one like many titled him and was reckless in his pursuit to please.

The nfl and dc want you back healthy, hopefully this experience opens your eyes to the fact that the NFL is a BUSINESS and always will be. Don’t be immature in your mindset.

seatownballers says:Apr 17, 2013 9:26 PM

I hope rg3 stays healthy and faces Seattle in playoffs again.

tmkelley1 says:Apr 17, 2013 9:31 PM

Mr. Florio, your final shot is unwarranted. Mr. Griffin is as responsible for his situation as anyone else, and he can refuse to play. The bigger point is that he should not have been tapped to play in that game at all; and for that you can blame management. These men are all reasonably intelligent, but after the fact. Mostly.

It is sad to see what has happened to RG3 because of Shanahan and the way he has misused, abused and confused him.

His injuries will heal but he will never trust his head coach again and he will likely be skittish and fearful every time he drops back to pass or zone read.

I thank the good Lord in heaven that the Seahawks have Pete Carrol’s steady hand on the tiller. He will steer a course to the promised land where Lomardi trophies are born. Pete would never do to Russel Wilson what Shanny did to Griffin.

Sad, so sad for Redskins fans. They had it all and poof it was gone. I pity them.

I had Robert taking TWO major hits in the pros and calling it a day….We’ll there is one..Kirk was good in college, but he is not the hype that people are trying to make him out to be.
Rex is a good third stringer to have, but us not the answer.
While I projected a major turnaround for them last season, due to Coach and how he orchestrates the running game (Solid Alfred) I am projecting that they take a dramatic fall and release their D coordinator.

It’s a ridiculous situation to be in. You don’t know how bad a guy is going to get hurt, ever. A hobbled Griffin could’ve gutted it out and won that playoff game…which is obviously what everybody thought.
Going “i told you so” when WAS loses and Griffin needs surgery is childish.

It’s not a video game where the guy has a health meter that’s depleting beginning in the 2nd quarter. He was hobbled, they played him until he couldn’t.

Oh and before anybody even starts, if Griffin comes back and he’s not the same player, it doesn’t change anything I’m saying right now.

It is so funny to see these people that are so pissed that “WE” yes I said it, that we now have a starting qb… finally after all of these years. So jealous that we have rg3. All of you people that talk smack, rg3 and out, rgknee, etc, etc, blah blah. You all said that he couldn’t play. You all said the skins suck. Look what happened. NFC East Champs. We were blowing the doors of the hawks in that last game until griff got hurt. If you think otherwise you are kidding yourself and you need to watch the game again. Riddle me this, how many teams were running pistol and spread option at the beginning of the year and how many were running it at the end of the year. Think long and hard before you answer. If this guy was qb of your team you wouldn’t be saying the same things. (Most teams, Not all) Anway, in closing I would just like to say even with bull s cap penalty we will once again win the east. Last thing if you cant say anything nice about somebody, don’t say anything at all. DALLAS Sucks. HTTR

I think a lot of people blame Shanahan because it just so happens that a lot of people don’t like Shanahan. Ultimately, though, RGIII is a grown man and Mike Shanahan didn’t hold a gun to his head and make him play. I’m actually pretty disappointed that RGIII even bothered to hint at any blame. He had never struck me as that type of guy.

kevingreene160sacknoHOFclub says:Apr 17, 2013 11:06 PM

Fedex field looks like the tee box at a public golf course. It’s like using your thoroughbred for carriage rides.

Chris Clemens (seattle) needed ACL surgery following that game. ###1 fault is the field condition. Everyone said that, and I am shocked its not mentioned more.

thesmartestmanever says:Apr 17, 2013 11:17 PM

this is professional sports, there are too many scenario’s that could have happened. had he won? hero. got taken out and cousins lose? Blame the coach. Cousins wins? who starts against Atl. it’s over and done. I get the media is finally paying attention to the Skins, but this story has to die. How’s Alfred Morris? what up with Orakpo?

This man is a great player and and he is saying the blame game doesn’t matter because the damage is done. Coach Shannahan should have protected him from himself knowing that competitive players like RG3 will do and say anything to stay in a game. RG3 has had two major reconstructions of the same knee and opponents know this. If he doesn’t run anymore or take chances he isn’t RG3 and more or less just another QB. I think he will play the same way as in the past and let the chips play out.

Only our author here could take a quote like“You try to avoid controversy as much as you can,” and spin it into an extremely controversial article. Whether or not you like the Redskins, whether or not you think Robert Griffin will be able come back at 100%, it’s impossible to argue that he’s a good kid, a hard worker, and loves the game of football. It’s hard to understand all the negativity he generates.

It doesn’t matter he chose to play he chose not to take himself out. Would he have listened because he sure doesn’t listen to anyone about getting down instead of taking a hit. Surprised he couldn’t hear half of America screaming “SLIDE!” from their living rooms last season. Maybe Bryce Harper can give him some tips on how to do this this offseason.

“It was the awful field”. No out wasn’t. The field had nothing to do with the injury. RG3 not protecting himself and allowing Halote Nata (yes I know I butchered that spelling) to tear up his knee is wear it all started. He was destined for knee surgery at that point.

It wasn’t they play calling of either of the Shannys. EVERY play Griffin got hurt on this year was a designed drop back pass. “Teach him to be a traditional drop back passer”. Yes, and get killed begins this OL.

RG3 is the one responsible. On every play he got hurt on he chose the riskier play instead of protecting himself.

He chose to get hurt! No he didn’t say, “I would love to get plastered by a 300lbs player” but on each play he had an out that would have resulted in no injury.

That young man is a competitor and will need to learn when to lay out on the line and when not to!

As a life long Cowboy fan and sworn hater of everything Redskin…I hate that I like this guy. I honestly do. I mean I could watch that Theisman clip a million times and yell, “That’s what you get Joe.” The cowboys had a chance to make the playoffs if they just beat the Redskins with two games to go. I honestly was torn because my boys just didn’t have half the heart this guy got his team playing with. If you go back and watch he did something in that game too because even even the announcers were saying he seemed to limp a little.

So Romo blows it at the end and everybody and I do mean everybody left his butt standing there. Not a cowboy in sight. First time that offensive line ran all year and it was the locker room. So this cameraman is right up on him for the viewers Romo is just walking slowly head looking at his feet. It was pathetic he was a broken man.

At home you don’t see what happened next until the last minute. Griffin must have been coming at a dead spring from his sideline chasing Romo down not even Romo saw him until he gives him half hug on the shoulder. If that camera wasn’t 1 foot from his face we might have missed this.

He says, “Hey Tony don’t you listen to what those guys. You are one of the best quarterbacks out there OK? Don’t lose your confidence because you’re good.”

Romo looks up and can only manage of mumbled thanks.

RG3 was too dumb to know that you don’t do that to your sworn enemy. I think he has a humanity and grounding in him that will certainly be his downfall and I am not kidding. He seems to want to bring everybody up, look out for everyone, and give it his all. What he doesn’t know yet is that is exactly what any team will take. I hope somebody (hey Romo why don’t you repay the favor and clue him how quickly people turn on you) mentors him a little to also think of himself once and a while.

Who cares at this point. Blame the coach, the field or RG3. Point is it is over and done with. You don’t hear the DE (Clemons) for Seattle still talking about his ACL. RG3 is high maintenance QB that will be hurt all the time and someone will always get the blame for it.

Well, I think it’s time to put it to bed since he’s obviously healthy. NFL met with Skins before making the schedule because they didn’t want to give us an early prime time game if he wasn’t guaranteed to be playing. Now we are the Monday night game week 1 against the Sheagles. He’s also doing passing drills on grass already. Seems like the acl wasn’t a full tear honestly.

I blame his fragile bird-like knees and legs. He has a golden arm, but he’s an injury waiting to happen. Such a setback to give up three first round picks for a player that can’t stay on the field.

thirdistheworrd says:Apr 18, 2013 2:28 PM

bigbluenationdb says: Apr 18, 2013 8:31 AM

Who cares at this point. Blame the coach, the field or RG3. Point is it is over and done with. You don’t hear the DE (Clemons) for Seattle still talking about his ACL. RG3 is high maintenance QB that will be hurt all the time and someone will always get the blame for it.
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Seriously? This may be the most ludicrous response to this story humanly possible. You accuse Griffin of throwing blame around in an interview where he is specifically asked to talk about blame, and he clearly responds “[I don’t want talk about that.]”

Even if we ignore the fact that this entire article is a direct refutation of your comment, ragging on quarterbacks for being “loudmouths” or “high-maintenance” because they are interviewed is simply beyond bizarre.

If you refuse to understand or acknowledge the phrase “In an interview with CSN Washington,” and use that as material to attack the player, it doesn’t reflect badly on them, it just makes you look like a petty and ignorant individual.

Who cares at this point. Blame the coach, the field or RG3. Point is it is over and done with. You don’t hear the DE (Clemons) for Seattle still talking about his ACL. RG3 is high maintenance QB that will be hurt all the time and someone will always get the blame for it.
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I really don’t care about the Redskins, but RGIII seem like a good kid, so did you really just take an article called “Griffin wants to move on from the blame game”, and accuse Griffin of playing the balme game? For real!? I’m no genius bro, but I can read words on a page, like in the 1st paragraph says “he doesn’t want to spend any more time discussing the placement of blame in connection with his injury”. Or how about when Robert says: “it doesn’t really matter whose responsibility it is. It doesn’t really matter who’s to blame”. Come on bro.

So RG3 confesses the smart move would of been to come out and if he did no one would of said anything, Jay Cutler did it and all we heard was how much of a coward he was and how he let his team down, what a double standard !